define beat what is beat- its not the maynard g. crebbs, goatee, black beret, black clothes, clove cigarettes, espresso-drinking, golf-clapping in dark expensive trendy coffeeshop horseshit! its expressing what you feel and see in the moment spontanious prose no specific meaning no literary constraints no allusions to great writing just living and seeing write it down, let people see what they want to see force them to use their minds, express their own opinions, force them to think freely